By Carol Church, Writer, Family Album

Reviewed by Suzanna Smith, PhD, Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, University of Florida

When first-time parents-to-be imagine bringing their new baby home, they may picture a sweet, angelic infant cooing in their arms, or perhaps, if they’re a little more experienced, some sleepless nights. But as most parents will tell you, it’s very difficult to understand what parenthood is really like before you experience it.

Some would say the same about understanding what it’s like to take care of a child full-time, 24 hours a day. Yet many American fathers don’t ever have this experience. Although studies show that today’s dads spend significantly more time caring for children than they once did, there are still very few stay-at-home dads. And paternity leave, especially paid leave, remains rare in the U.S. How does this affect families?

Recently, a researcher writing in the journal Gender Roles interviewed 50 new fathers who all worked for the same company. Nineteen of the men had taken 3 or more weeks of paternity leave, while 31 had not. Some men lived in Canada, where the government offers paid paternity leave, and some in the U.S, where no paid paternity leave was available to them.

The interviews revealed some intriguing differences between men who had taken parental leave and those who hadn’t. For instance, dads who did take leave said that it had helped them to build a shared parenting routine with their spouse and understand what it was like to parent full-time. Leave also helped them develop an identity as a co-parents, not simply as an “assistant” to the mother.

Meanwhile, men who had not taken leave generally felt that they would not have been needed at home after their baby’s birth. Yet at the same time, some acknowledged that they understood less about daily care routines than their wives. (It’s important to note that many of the men who did not take leave felt that doing so would either be a financial burden or would cause problems for them at work.)

These interviews suggest that men who are able to take leave find it rewarding and discover new confidence in their co-parenting role. Paid paternity leave, such as the type offered in Canada, has significant potential to help families adjust to the many changes that come along with a new baby. The question remains as to whether more private companies and governments will begin to make this family-friendly leave available.

(Photo credit: UF/IFAS file photo.)

References:

Rehel, E. M. (2013). When dad stays home too: Paternity leave, gender, and parenting. Gender and Society. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0891243213503900

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